Director Yorgos Lanthimos has never been one for making films in half-measures. It’s always true to his vision or no film at all. Whether the audience gets it or not seems to be a secondary consideration to his artistic whimsy. And I purposely use the word ‘whimsy,’ as there’s always something both playful and incendiary with his narratives. With Poor Things, the subversive Alasdair Gray novel is adapted by Tony McNamara into a visually stunning and disturbing portrait of the sexual awakening of a ‘reconstructed’ woman.

Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) is the unorthodox doctor who decides to play God and bring back to life a pregnant woman who committed suicide, using the brain of the unborn child when he re-animates the woman as Bella Baxter (Emma Stone). The film took the Golden Lion Prize at the Venice Film Festival, so it’s a coup for QCinema to have screened this film on the Opening Night of the ongoing festival. Congratulations to Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Festival Director Liza Dino-Seguerra.

Back to Poor Things, and it isn’t long before Bella, with the brain of a young child but a woman's body, begins to discover things about her body. Dr. Baxter’s assistant, Max (Ramy Youssef), is smitten despite the awakening and unabashed sexuality of Bella. The lawyer, Duncan (Mark Ruffalo), considers himself a Lothario, is intrigued by Bella, and takes matters into his own hands.

The film then becomes a cinematic Odyssey of Bella’s discovery of sex and her own body. Along the way, Lanthimos has much to say about gender politics, the role of women in Society, the way talk about sex and sexuality is considered taboo, and even how society thinks of women and their bodies as possessions of Men.

The cinematography is stunning, like an impressionist storybook coming to life, and the music is instrumental in setting the film's tone. It’s set in a mock-Victoria era, and true to the storyline, echoes Shelley’s Frankenstein. But in Good Things, the premise turns to what if the ‘monster’ was a Woman. Plus, what if her issues had more to do with her body and ways to reach orgasm?

Emma Stone’s portrayal and its arc within the film is a joy to behold. I wouldn’t be surprised if she sweeps the Best Actress award for this. Ruffalo and Dafoe put in worthy performances, but Ruffalo’s accent is all over the place, while thankfully, Dafoe is more consistent in putting on a Scottish accent.

There’s a light comedic ambiance to the film but with sudden thrusts of seriousness, visual horror, and cruelty. In other words, Welcome to the Lanthimos Universe. His films include The Favourite, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and The Lobster. While different, if there is a previous Lanthimos film this is most related to, it would be his Dogtooth.

I understand two more screenings of this film will not be released commercially; so don’t miss out on the opportunity to watch this film that’s being touted to take home several Oscars early next year, and head to the QCinema website. While at the website, check out the strong line-up of films in this year’s edition. It’s a cinephile’s Dreamland, and these next nine to ten days are their version of Celluloid Heaven.